Gary Ackerman

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of a man who exemplifies finest combination of civic consciousness, personal drive, and family responsibility. Robert S. Bernstein, Mayor of the Village of Lake Success, has been a catalyst, providing the means and motivation for the continued progress and success of this community. Half century ago, Robert began his journey in public service as an Eagle Scout. During his tenure at Adelphi University, the student body elected him president of both his freshman and sophomore classes, and as president of the entire student government as a senior. Parallel with his college education, he joined the United States Naval Reserve, and served on active duty for 27 years, retiring at the rank of full Navy Captain. Since then he has served his community in a variety of different capacities: a member of the North Shore University Hospital Cardiology Leadership Committee, a Trustee and then Deputy Mayor of the Village of Lake Success, President of the Great Neck Village Officials Association, and currently as the Mayor of the Village of Lake Success. Focusing his attention on his community, Robert has accomplished much to be proud of. As a trustee for the Village, he instituted its first Environment Committee in 1986, to promote clean air and water, as well as the safe enjoyment of the outdoors by keeping public land pesticide- free. As Mayor, he improved the infrastructure of the Village by tearing down an old building and building in its place a new Police Station and Courtroom (that doubles as a summer camp for resident children between the ages of three and six), a Community Center, and extra housing for those in need. Robert will step down from his municipal office, after years of dedication, to focus his attention on developing emergency and disaster procedures, and continuing his focus on environmental issues affecting his community. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize such an accomplished individual and commend Mayor Robert Bernstein for his years of dedicated service. On behalf of his wife, three children, two grandchildren, and the Village of Lake Success, I ask the whole House of Representatives to join me in honoring Mayor Robert S. Bernstein, and wishing him many years of happiness and good health as he celebrates his well deserved retirement.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Herrick High School's academic team for surpassing fifteen other high schools in Nassau County to earn the title of Nassau County Champions in The Long Island Challenge. The Challenge, sponsored by Cablevision's Power to Learn educational initiative, is a televised game show encouraging academic competition among high schools on Long Island and New Jersey. Under the supervision of their academic advisor Craig Lagnese, team captain Akhilesh Pillalamarri, Yaagnik Kosuri, Amol Jain and Andrew Kim rose to the occasion, proudly representing their school. Their exceptional knowledge of history, science, math, arts, and literature carried them through this competition and on to victory. On May 25, 2006 the team will proceed to the Long Island Championship, where they will compete with the Suffolk County Champions. The victor of this match will continue on to challenge the champions of the New Jersey Challenge, and will be named the Challenge Champions. Mr. Speaker, I want to extend my congratulations to the students representing Herrick High School. Their academic excellence will, I am sure, bring future successes that they, their families, and their community will be proud of. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in honoring these four outstanding students, and wishing them luck on their continued journey in the Long Island Challenge.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi David Wise, who in August began his tenure as Rabbi of the Hollis Hills Jewish Center. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Rabbi Wise grew up as an active member in the educational programs and youth groups of the Conservative movement. He continued his Judaic involvement at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he received a Masters degree and was ordained a Rabbi. Upon completion of his studies, Rabbi Wise began his rabbinical career at Temple Beth El in Somerset, New Jersey. Rabbi Wise is tremendously dedicated to his congregation and the surrounding Jewish community. For years, he has worked to help congregants read Torah, haftarah, and to increase their skills as prayer leaders. Rabbi Wise is also active in the synagogue's educational programs, encouraging both children and adults in their exploration of Judaism. With an open door and welcoming smile, Rabbi Wise serves as a friend and mentor to any congregant seeking guidance, as well as those who want to deepen their Jewish learning and commitment. Rabbi Wise plays many roles in promoting the growth of a strong Jewish community and this involvement has been a staple of his career. During his years in New Jersey, Rabbi Wise taught rabbinic literature in the upper-school of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Raritan Valley. An active Zionist, Rabbi Wise also led the first ever Beth El congregational trip to Israel. As the vice president for special programming of the New Jersey Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbi Wise helped organize a spiritual retreat to the Princeton Theological Seminary after the High Holiday Season. Rabbi Wise was also a member of the steering committee for Jewish LIFE, a cooperative body of synagogues and Jewish institutions striving to bring adult learning to the community. In addition to promoting Jewish education throughout New Jersey, Rabbi Wise has served on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County and Ramah Day Camp of Raritan Valley. Rabbi Wise also offered his services as a chaplain to the Franklin Township Police Department in New Jersey. On behalf of the entire community, I am delighted to welcome Rabbi Wise, his wife, Judy Krinitz, and their two children, Jordana Nechama and Elijah Mordechai to our part of the Big Apple. We look forward to many years of his spiritual leadership as our pastor and our friend. Together, we will continue our efforts to make the Queens Jewish Community a place that our children and families are proud to call our home. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues in the House to join me in welcoming and honoring the new spiritual leader of the Hollis Hills Jewish Center, a man of humor, knowledge, and wisdom, Rabbi David Wise. We send him our very best wishes.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Rabbi Dr. H. Joseph Simckes, who has just retired after 29 years of service to the Hollis Hills Jewish Center. As the spiritual leader of the Hollis Hills Jewish Center, Rabbi Simckes' dedication and compassion to our community has been unparalleled. I have had the great honor of knowing this intelligent, wise and kind-hearted individual, both on a personal level and as an advocate for the numerous important issues, and, particularly, support for the state of Israel, that we have worked on together. Throughout his extraordinary career, Rabbi Simckes has been deeply and profoundly involved in the education of Jewish youth. His strong support of Jewish education was evident early in his career through his role in helping to found the first Solomon Schecter Day School in Boston. Rabbi Simckes has also led over 40 student-groups on tours throughout Israel. I have seen first hand the importance Rabbi Simckes places on education through the important work that he has done helping sculpt today's Jewish curriculum and the vast knowledge and rigor that he displays in his moving sermons. The wisdom he has shared both inside and outside of his congregation has improved and enriched the lives of thousands in the community. Rabbi Simckes is also a trained therapist, whose compassion and guidance have comforted both old and young. Rabbi Simckes has been a pillar of strength throughout his tenure counseling, comforting, and sharing in the pain and joy of the whole community. Rabbi Simckes has stood with the Queens Jewish Community during our most important life-cycle moments: births, bar-mitzvahs, weddings, and, of course, deaths as well. Always warm, always accessible, Rabbi Simckes has guided our community as pastor and friend. Our community has been blessed to have such a devoted and passionate leader. Though Rabbi Simckes will be missed his role as congressional rabbi, his spirit and convictions will remain as a permanent legacy for the community. The importance he placed on learning, and his deep devotion to the Jewish people and their faith, have inspired us all, and we look forward to his continued involvement in our lives. To Chana Simckes, on behalf of the entire community, I want to thank you for sharing your husband to us so readily and for so long. Without your love and support neither he, nor we, could have made it so far, and for so long, together. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues in the House to join me in recognizing my leader, my pastor, my guide, and my friend, Rabbi Dr. H. Joseph Simckes for his 29 years of service to the Hollis Hills Jewish Center. We send him our very best wishes in his years of well-earned retirement.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution. First, let me thank Chairman Hyde and Ranking Member Lantos for bringing this matter to the floor. Yesterday, I read a news article quoting a Hamas representative who thanked the United States for providing Hamas with ``the weapon of democracy.'' The weapon of democracy. Like other Hamas spokesmen, this man was being completely frank. In my experience, people who think they are on a mission from God generally do not dissemble about their intentions. The decision by the Bush administration to press for elections that did not exclude Hamas, as the Oslo agreements required, is seen by Hamas, quite literally, as a gift from heaven. Indeed, it is a fact of surpassing strangeness that the same President who would not deal with Yasser Arafat because he was tainted by terrorism is in large measure responsible for insisting on the elections that brought Hamas to power. Allowing Hamas to compete was substantially our grave mistake. Electing Hamas, however, was the Palestinian people's own free choice. No one questions the mechanics of the election itself, only the nature of the elected. Let us recall that Hitler's National Socialists, the Nazi party, also came to power in free elections. References of this type are usually inappropriate. The Holocaust was a unique, horrible event, and nothing should ever be done to diminish it or turn it into another rhetorical cheap shot. But in this case the comparison of how coming to power was the same is very apt. What is Hamas? Hamas is declared to be, by our government and the European Union, a terrorist organization. It is an ally and an aid recipient of Iran. It is an organization of religious zealots who put bombs in stores and clubs and restaurants, hotels and discos and buses and proclaim their work to be the will of God. It is an organization that insistently proclaims its intention to exterminate the State of Israel and to replace it with an Islamic state under Sharia law. It is an organization that proudly declares its beliefs that Jews are the descendants of ``pigs and monkeys.'' Hamas is responsible not only for the cold-blooded murder of hundreds of Israeli citizens but also dozens of Americans. And while they may be crazy, they are not stupid. They are watching us very closely, and they are looking for any sign of weakness, any departure from principle, any signal of grudging acceptance. It is absolutely vital that they see nothing of the sort. When Hamas looks at America, at the administration, at the Congress, they must see nothing but fierce, unrelenting, and implacable rejection. There can be no political absolution for this pack of killers; and the very idea of giving our taxpayers' money to these bloody-handed fanatics, people who have slaughtered our own citizens, is offensive. Suggesting that we do it indirectly, that we merely subsidize rather than fund their rule, is no less unacceptable. People in the executive branch trying to figure out how to square this circle should pay close attention to this debate. I would say to them: Before you urge the President to ask the Congress to provide assistance to the Palestinians, you had better start counting votes. This Congress is more likely to restore British sovereignty over the United States than it is to appropriate even $1 for the West Bank or Gaza. Hamas is a terrorist organization, and the United States has clear policy for dealing with terrorists: We do not do it. We do not legitimize them, and we do not acknowledge phony distinctions between their political and their terrorist ``wings.'' We do not forgive them for the hundreds they have murdered in exchange for a handful of promises. And we certainly do not pay them. Not in cash, not in coupons, not in vouchers, not in green stamps, not in airline miles. Americans do not give money to terrorists, to terrorist governments, and to people who elect terrorists. We have better things to do with our money. When President Abbas was first elected, I was among those who were strongly encouraging the administration to boost his prestige and help build him up with assistance and projects. But he never demanded that Hamas and other terrorist groups disarm and disband. Now we see that after a year of trying things the way Abu Mazen wanted and not feeling they got any real benefits, Palestinians have voted to go in a different direction. That is their right. But it is absolutely critical that our policies adjust to reflect their decisions. Just as I believed that the Palestinian choice of Abu Mazen's vision of nonviolence and peace deserved our support and assistance, I think the election of Hamas, with its dogmatic adherence to terror and its insistence on Israel's extermination, deserves our strongest condemnation and is an unmistakable change in how we do business. Elected terrorists are still terrorists. We should not give them legitimacy. We should not deal with them diplomatically. And, most obviously, we should not give them hundreds of millions of dollars from our taxpayers. U.S. foreign assistance is a gift, not a right. The Palestinian Authority, as long as it is led by Hamas, is a terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of dozens of Americans and obviously disqualified from this kind of aid. Not doing business as usual means, by definition, that things have to change across the board. Only a comprehensive rejection of Hamas's leadership can satisfy the requirements of continued U.S. leadership in the war on terror. The message and the methods of Hamas must not only fail but they must be seen to fail throughout the world and especially in the Middle East. Compromising with Hamas and doing a little bit of business here, a little bit of business there, accepting phony commitments and using back-door intermediaries will prove to Islamic radicalists that there is no price they pay for terrorism as long as you succeed in taking the reins of power. We cannot afford to send that message to the Palestinians or to anybody else. I strongly encourage the adoption of this resolution and prompt consideration by the House of additional legislation to respond to the challenge to America and our interests that are posed by Hamas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, just in brief response to my good friend, the chairman, Mr. Hyde, who always stands up and fights so well and eloquently for democracy, my concern about allowing Hamas to participate in the election is not just my opinion. This was part of the Oslo Accords, to which the Israelis and Palestinians both agreed and signed. It is a governing document that no group that participates in violence and commits themselves to the destruction of the other will be allowed to participate in the election. That is the law. That is the doctrine. I just express my dismay that our President, with his great leadership against terror, would take a pass and lean on the Israelis to allow this election to take place with Hamas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), a member of the committee.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Barbara Conacchio, who will be honored by the Queens Board of Elections on January 26, 2006 for her 25 years of dedicated service. Barbara's career with the Queens Board of Elections began in January of 1981, when she was hired as a temporary employee. Less than a week later, realizing what a great asset Barbara was, the Board of Elections offered her a permanent position. Seven years later, in 1988, the Board once again recognized her outstanding work and promoted Barbara to Administrative Assistant, where she performed masterfully. In June of 1991, she was appointed as Chief Clerk of the Queens Board of Elections. Over the past fourteen years, Barbara has held this post with remarkable poise, leadership and distinction. Despite her hectic career, Barbara has voluntarily served our community through a number of organizations. She is a Past-President of the Knights of Columbus--General Father Sherman Shine Columbiettes, a member of the Queens Historical Society, and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Mitchell Gardens Co-op. While Barbara has had a distinguished and praiseworthy career at the Board of Elections, and is celebrated as a community leader, her family--her husband of 30 years, Ronald, along with her two daughters, Amanda and Lisa, and two granddaughters, Brianna and Tiffani--remains the source of her greatest pride and inspiration. Mr. Speaker, it is with great satisfaction that I rise to commend Barbara Conacchio. The accolades bestowed upon her for the 25 years of outstanding service she has given to the Queens Board of Elections are entirely deserved. I know all my colleagues in the House will join me in honoring Barbara for her outstanding work and wishing her many more years of success.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey). (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, how many Members arose?

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I am really very saddened by the fact that when given the opportunity to expand this resolution that the sponsor demurred. I am not sure why. If you do not know and you are saying that you want this to be what this is because yours is the religion that has its symbols under attack, when was the last time you walked into Wal-Mart and saw it saying ``Happy Chanukah''? When did you walk into Toys `R Us and see it saying ``Happy Kwanzaa''? Does that give me the right to say that my religion is under attack, the symbols of my faith or the holiday I wish to celebrate are under attack. It is not, and I am not going to be a crybaby and say that it is. To tell the truth, it is slightly offensive to see people trying to create a war and claiming they are attacked just so that they go on the offense instead of the defense. This is a prefabricated issue that has no merit. Nobody is attacking the symbols of Christmas. Are you objecting to our wanting to be included because the symbols of your religion are more important than the symbols of anybody else's religion in America? Or is it because you think that the symbols of your religion are more official? And that is the danger in what we are doing. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, first, let me assure the gentlewoman from Virginia that I know she comes to the floor with a pure heart and with every good intention. Let me also assure her that I am not the Grinch that stole the Christmas tree ornaments. That being said, I really do not understand what we are doing today. I do not understand why we need to set up a straw man just to knock it down, to protect the symbols of Christmas as if they were under attack. Is this another war we fight for reasons that do not exist? There are people around who need an enemy at all times to try to separate us one from the other as Americans in order to advance their own agenda. I do not think we should be playing into their hands. Nobody is attacking Christmas or its symbols. I enjoy Christmas, sing Christmas carols. I do not celebrate the religious significance of it, but it is a holiday I tremendously respect, as I do my Christian friends, and do wish them a Merry Christmas. But that is not the point. What we are doing here is we are selling the American people sizzle and providing no steak. We are choosing symbolism over substance, and we are not providing substance, which is why I think most of us came to the Congress of the United States, not to protect symbols, but to protect everybody's rights. Now, I know when people want to be inclusive they come to the floor and they are very inclusive. I get included in when you want to talk about Judeo-Christian traditions or heritage. When you want my participation, you know how to do it. But I am offended by this. You have drawn me out. Why not protect my symbols? My symbols are not protected here. And I am not asking them to be because if you came to the floor protecting my symbols and nobody else's, I would say, no thank you. Do not protect me unless you protect everybody because that is the American way. We are doing symbols over substance. We have embarked on a very slippery slope, the incline of which might be too steep. We do not know the unintended consequences. I like Christmas. I like the message of Christmas. I like helping the needy and the poor and the least among us. But I did not come here to protect the symbols. Did something happen when I was not looking? Did somebody mug Santa Claus? Is somebody engaging in elf tossing? Did somebody shoot Bambi? If you eat venison, are you a suspect? What silliness we engage in, protecting symbols. If you wanted to protect the message of Christmas, come to the floor with real bills with substance. Where is your bill to house the homeless? Where is your bill to feed the needy? Where is your bill to clothe the naked? Where is your bill to protect senior citizens who will not be able to heat their homes this winter? Where is the substance? Why are we engaging, in this terrible time in which we are in, in symbolism? We can be doing something meaningful. Where is the bill for real health care? Where is the bill to educate the children that we really are leaving behind? We are not doing any of those things. I think we could be doing so much more instead of feeding the flames that divide us instead of bringing us together. I wish the gentlewoman a merry Christmas. I have no compunction about doing that. But I do not want my government to engage in the foolishness of deciding for people what their symbols should or have to be. And I know that it has been amended so that it now reads that this is for Christian people. I do not want to be here telling Christian people how to observe Christmas. I mean, I did not come here to protect toys and tinsel anymore than I came here to protect presents and potato latkes. This is not my deal. And we have important work to do that is important to real people of all faiths, and people of all faiths should not engage in anything that feeds those who would be divisive. I know that is not the intent of the gentlewoman, because I think I know her heart well. But this is the unintended consequence of bills such as this when we go down that path. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner).

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent an area that borders the Long Island Sound. The Sound is one of our Nation's natural treasures, providing important environmental, recreational, and commercial benefits to its surrounding regions. Not only is the Sound the natural habitat for one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Northeast, but it also provides enjoyment for the millions of residents and vacationers who swim and boat in the Sound every year. Moreover, commerce relating to the Long Island Sound generates more than $5 billion in the regional economy each year. Preservation of the Long Island Sound is not a parochial issue, but a national one. The Sound is a charter member in the National Estuaries Program, and has been designated as one of only 28 estuaries of national significance. Unfortunately, the effects of having more than 8 million people living within its watershed have caught up with the Sound, as untreated sewage and other types of pollution have harmed the water quality and caused a dramatic drop in the Sound's fish and wildlife populations. With the passage of the Long Island Sound Restoration Act in 2000, which authorized $200 million for cleaning up the Long Island Sound over the past 5 years, we have seen improvements in the quality of the water in the Sound. However, our work is not complete. We must continue to build on this progress and provide more assistance in cleaning up the Sound. I am confident that the funds authorized in this bill will have a significant impact on the ongoing efforts to improve the quality of the Long Island Sound. We must do everything possible to ensure the continued funding of these efforts, and this legislation is the appropriate means for achieving the desired end.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my sincere thanks to the men and women of our Embassy in Egypt and, particularly, to Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone. I also want to commend Assistant Secretary David Welch, Deputy Assistant Secretary Liz Dibble and a host of their colleagues in the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. I am pleased to report to the House that through vigorous behind-the- scenes engagement with the Government of Egypt, America's diplomats made a critical difference for millions of Jews across America and around the world celebrating the Jewish holiday Sukkot. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I began to receive reports that merchants purchasing the palm fronds used for ritual celebrations of the holiday, were discovering that their historic supply in Egypt was in jeopardy. In previous years, Egyptian palms had provided the overwhelming proportion of the roughly one million palm fronds used for the holiday. As commanded in the Bible, Jews celebrate Sukkot with ``the four species''--a lulav, composed of palm, myrtle, and willow branches, and a citron, an aromatic but inedible citrus fruit called an etrog--that are used to sanctify the holiday. This year, however, Egyptian agriculture officials, reportedly concerned about the health of Egypt's orchards of date palms, ordered a cessation of the harvest and export of palm fronds expected by Jewish communities around the world. For those unfamiliar with the holiday, a sudden palm frond shortage may have seemed a bit odd, if not downright absurd. I would compare it, however, to a situation where 2 weeks before Christmas, people began to suddenly discover that there were no Christmas trees available for sale, or that those few trees on the market were undersized, illegally cut and only available for triple the normal price. I am proud to say that once informed of the situation, our diplomats acted swiftly, speaking forcefully on behalf of the entire United States and drawing upon the strong and deep ties between our government and Egypt's. Again and again over a 2 week period, our diplomats pressed officials in the Egyptian government to increase the number of cuttings available and to ensure their successful export. And here, I also want to express my thanks to Egypt's ambassador, Nabil Fahmy and his staff at the Egyptian embassy for their very important role in conveying the seriousness of this problem to their colleagues in Cairo. In the end, I believe there was enough. The Egyptian government heard our concerns and did the best it could to accommodate our needs. Ultimately, I'm told the restrictions on cuttings were effectively lifted in the last hours. There were shortages in some places, some people had to pay more than usual, and more people had to share than in years past, but no one, to my knowledge, was unable to fulfill the religious requirements of the holiday. Mr. Speaker, the week-long festival of Sukkot celebrates the fall harvest and is often referred to in Hebrew as z'man simchataynu, ``the season of our rejoicing.'' I can tell you, there would have been a lot less rejoicing absent a lot of hard work by America's diplomats. I know the whole House will join me in thanking them for this extraordinary effort.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Pearl Schenkler, a rare and special woman on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Pearl was born in 1915 in New York City to immigrant parents. The second of four daughters in a family that truly lived the American dream, Pearl learned from the example of her parents. Her father, a steelworker, and her mother, a homemaker, unique in their commitment to education, insisted on sending each of their four daughters to college. Inspired by her two younger sisters, Pearl graduated college and became a teacher in the New York Public School System. Pearl spent the first part of her career teaching the second grade in P.S. 221 in Harlem and finished her remarkable career of service not far from my childhood home at P.S. 154 in Queens. Her commitment to teaching and molding her students was second only to her efforts in raising a strong family. Pearl and her husband Max were married for more than 50 years. He, too, was an educator and together they taught and learned. Their two children, my friends Carole Jacobson and Michael Schenkler, are illustrations of how the important values that weave the fabric of our city have been nurtured by children of immigrant parents and shared with the next generation. Pearl Schenkler gave her children the same meaningful start her parents gave to her. Carole and Michael and their many cousins, all of whom I have the pleasure of knowing, are part of the wonderful story of our great country. Pearl Schenkler, her parents, her husband, her sisters and brothers-in-law helped to build my home borough of Queens into a beacon of learning and understanding. In 1954, Pearl and Max moved their family from the Bronx to Kew Gardens Hills. Soon, Pearl's parents and eventually all her siblings called that neighborhood their home. The borough of Queens, New York was the beneficiary of the talent, knowledge and kindness the family shared with their neighbors and the greater community. In one of the great tradition of those before them, Pearl and Max, like so many other New Yorkers, eventually retired to Florida, where Pearl quickly took to working for others and joined the Boca Chapter of B'nai B'rith Women. She became the editor of the Boca Raton Clarion, the organization's newspaper, winning nationwide awards for the best publication from some four hundred chapters of B'nai B'rith. Pearl began spending countless hours helping local children who were sick or in need, as well as helping to fund the construction of a hospital in Israel. She then moved on to become President and led the Boca Raton Chapter for a number of years. Even with all of these selfless responsibilities, Pearl and Max still made time for family. They visited New York often and their kids and grandkids were frequent guests in Boca. During his later years, Pearl spent much of her time caring for Max, her life companion who passed away after a wonderful and fulfilling life at the age of 93. Mr. Speaker, as Pearl looks back and treasures her memories of 90 wonderful years, she will continue to be flanked by family. On October 8, 2005, her 90th birthday, her children and grandchildren will be with her in Florida to celebrate this momentous occasion. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please rise and join me in congratulating my friend Pearl Schenkler and sending her our very best wishes for a very happy 90th birthday.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 90th birthday of Bernard Zises and to honor the contributions he has made both to his community and to the United States. Bernard turns 90 on October 23, 2005 and he will celebrate this momentous occasion surrounded by family and friends. Bernard first made a name for himself in the early 1930's as a college basketball player in New York City. He was a standout during his four years as the highest scoring player in the entire New York City college system. His contributions off the court, however, have been far more impressive. On March 30th, 2005, Bernard was honored as the ``Gezunter of the Year'' by the Gezunter Club at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center in East Hills, New York. This prestigious honor was bestowed upon Bernard in recognition of his years of dedicated service to the Jewish community in New York and abroad. He has been a huge supporter of, among other charitable causes, the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center, the UJA-Federation of New York, Hadassah and the State of Israel. While he has been honored for his acts of altruism and charity, Bernard is most proud of his wonderful family. His 66-year marriage to his wife, Ruth, his 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 4 great- grandchildren are all great sources of inspiration and happiness to him. Mr. Speaker, I commend Bernard Zises for his years of dedicated commitment to our community, to the Jewish community, to the United States, to the State of Israel and those around him. Bernard's integrity, selflessness, and stature have certainly made an enormous impression on the great many lives he has touched. In recognition of a lifetime of generosity and altruism, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to rise and join me in honoring Bernard Zises as he celebrates his 90th birthday.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the First Presbyterian Church of Flushing, New York. This year marks the church's 100th anniversary and during the past century its members have dedicated themselves to serving God and our community. The First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1904 when Rev. Benjamin Parliman, unable to find any existing Presbyterian churches in Flushing, built a new church and held its first worship service on January 22, 1905. In the past hundred years, the church has grown and adapted, but it has never once strayed from its commitment to serving our community. When hardships struck our neighbors, the First Presbyterian Church was there to ease their troubles and offer support in any way possible. During the Great Depression, with a membership of over 425, then Reverend Charles Woodbridge organized employment committees to aid those who lost their jobs. Immediately following the stock market crash of 1929, Rev. Woodbridge helped to establish a relief ministry to support those victimized by the nation's economic plight. When the strain and terror of war struck the Nation during the first and second World Wars, the church continued to console and support its members. Since then, the church has grown in numbers and expanded in size, adding new programs for youth and adults and erecting more facilities for education and worship. In 1974 a Women's Fellowship was started and not long after Ms. Irene Galati became the first woman elder to be ordained at the church. Furthermore, a Korean church was begun to better serve the growing Korean population of the area. A free counseling center was created in 1980, along with a clothing exchange program, both of which continue to serve the community today. More recently, current pastor Rev. Dr. John Smucker has implemented new programs such as the English Language center, which helps teach English to those in need, and the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, which is a non-profit group dedicated to raising funds for teaching English as a second language, the food pantry, free counseling services, after school programs and the Home Care Fund. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of its 100th year of service to the community of Flushing, I ask that the whole House join me in congratulating this outstanding house of worship and a strong pillar in our community for all that it has done thus far, and in wishing the church, its members and clergy many more years of success and good fortune.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Andre Louis, a selfless and inspirational individual who completed his ``Ride for the Ages'' on September 11, 2005. On August 10, Mr. Louis began a 3,300 mile journey by bicycle across the United States in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining physical health for senior citizens. Andre, the Psychiatric Services Coordinator at the Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Jamaica, New York, was inspired by his experiences working with aging individuals suffering from serious health problems. On his way from San Francisco to Jamaica, Andre, who himself is nearing retirement age, stopped at various American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging facilities to meet with and inspire staff members and patients alike. Accompanied by family members along the way, Andre has dedicated the ``Ride for the Ages'' to his daughter, Michele, who survived leukemia as a result of a bone marrow transplant from her brother Jean-Daniel. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I commend Andre Louis for his altruism and dedication to the health of our seniors. He is truly a determined individual and an inspiration to us all. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in honoring Andre Louis for his extraordinary undertaking and wishing him many more years of success.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Meryl Menashe, who was recently named a Museum Teacher Fellow for the 2005-06 academic year by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Meryl, one of only fifteen teachers from across the Nation chosen to be a Museum Teacher Fellow this year, demonstrated extensive knowledge of Holocaust history, a record successful teaching experience, and a history of participation in community and professional organizations. She joins over 200 Museum Teacher Fellows in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's program, all of whom continue to serve as community leaders in Holocaust education. As a Museum Teacher Fellow, Meryl will create an outreach project to bring Holocaust education to groups outside the walls of the traditional school environment. This may include distance learning, working with adult groups, or conducting programs in schools, the community, or other professional organizations. Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough the importance of Holocaust education. We must never forget. We must teach and remember the Holocaust because genocide is real. It is not history, it is reality. Meryl will be returning to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum throughout the year for further training and to report on her outreach project. Once the 2005-06 academic year is over, she will continue to advance American Holocaust education by supporting future fellows, and, of course, continuing to lead the effort in our community. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great pride that I rise to commend Meryl Menashe. Her dedication to Holocaust education, a sad but necessary task, is extraordinary and she is well deserving of her appointment as a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow. I ask all my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in honoring Meryl for her efforts and wishing her many more years of success.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure this is politically incorrect, but watching the President fly into the disaster area left by Hurricane Katrina and declare that the director of FEMA has done a good job should cause everyone of us to scream out ``the President has no clue.'' As has become painfully obvious, the Bush administration's response to this fearsome natural disaster has been woefully late and utterly inadequate. Mr. Speaker, this is not meant to be a partisan attack; it's important to remember that not all criticism of the President is for political advantage. Indeed one of the principal duties of the Congress, and one we have been shamefully inattentive to, is oversight of the executive branch and its utilization of taxpayer resources. And if there is no criticism of the disastrous response to this disaster, then we have no right to expect that this administration, or some later administration, will not similarly mishandle the future challenges our Nation is sure to face. Americans rightfully should have expected that by now, every region of this country, every metropolitan area, every great city, would have a comprehensive disaster response and evacuation plan. It should not require a disaster or a cataclysm, or worse, a terrorist attack, nor should it be a mystery, or an improvisational effort to figure out how to preserve hospital and medical services, to know which facilities will be needed to provide emergency shelters, or to determine how food, water, medicine, blankets and cots and other essentials are going to be sent to designated distribution sites in the fastest, most efficient way. It should be obvious, even to those who have habitually failed or refused to see the obvious, that once again, there is no plan. By diffidence and incompetence the Bush administration has lost the battle for New Orleans. We in this House need to ensure that we don't lose the battle for the survival of America. Mr. Speaker, I never take joy in publicly criticizing my President, but questions about the failure of his leadership in the planning and implementation of rescue efforts--whether now or when the dust settles--have to be asked. If a country knows they're going to be attacked, whether by Mother Nature or by terrorists, they must be prepared. It is all too apparent that the federal government was not prepared for Hurricane Katrina. Sufficient troops and ample disaster relief supplies should have been on the ground in advance of the storm, and there should have been clear plans for additional resources to be brought in within a reasonable amount of time. Moreover, in light of the vast scale of the devastation, and the immediacy of need, where was the innovative spirit and can-do attitude we Americans are so rightly famous for? Why not contract with Greyhound and America's other bus companies and use them to make short runs to nearby safe railroad terminals so hurricane survivors could have been more quickly relocated to safer out-lying areas on trains? Couldn't a system like this have transported more people to safe ground quicker? Wasn't there some way to free up the too few school buses which were forced to drive to cities far away and make return trips with nobody on board? Couldn't those same vehicles have been used to bring in bottled water, food, emergency supplies and medicine? Mr. Speaker, what on earth has the Federal Government been doing since 9/11 to prepare for a disaster striking a major American city? With all the Federal agencies, the massive homeland security bureaucracy, and all the many czars, bosses and chiefs, there is still no national or regional master plan to evacuate people, to rapidly bring in relief and to adequately deal with a large scale emergency of this nature. Where has all the money and effort gone? What have the taxpayers got for their hard earned money? All the money for Homeland Security, what has it bought us? Where is the coordination? Where is the Federal-State- local partnership? Have we learned nothing about disaster response from 9/11? Is there a plan in place for how to deal with the profiteers when the resettling and rebuilding begins? Is there a plan to address the spike in oil prices? Do we even have a system to help our fellow Americans in finding friends and loved ones? Is our government even capable of putting together a list of the lost, missing, found and deceased? Of course, right now, the Government must devote its energy to rescue efforts and to beginning the recovery of the affected region. And, once again, we cannot adequately thank all those first responders and rescue workers who have once again shown the kind of steadfast bravery that makes us proud to be Americans. We will never be able to repay their heroism adequately or thank them for all the lives they've already saved. But as the crisis passes, Mr. Speaker, we cannot and we must not ignore how the Federal Government failed to protect the health and safety of its citizens. If the measure of a great nation is how it deals with its weakest and neediest citizens, then Hurricane Katrina has revealed some very unpleasant truths. How we deal with those truths will show what kind of nation we really are.

Mr. ACKERMAN

Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, located in Oyster Bay, New York. The park's 409 acres on the beautiful North Shore of Long Island provide a unique opportunity to educate, enrich, and entertain the visiting public. The ``Gold Coast'' of Long Island is known around the world from F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby. The Planting Fields Arboretum is a remarkable public garden that provides the public with the chance to experience the beauty and tranquility of this legendary part of America's geography. The Planting Fields Arboretum is entering the final stage of construction of a new facility, the Hoffman Visitor Center. This enriching addition, due to open in the summer of 2006, will function as an educational center and will serve as a permanent home for the historical records of all Long Island parks. Visitors to the Hoffman Visitor Center will be able to participate in interactive exhibits, which will acquaint them with the history and culture of the Planting Fields Arboretum. A 3-dimensional topographical map, featuring fiber optic light-up paths surrounded by educational panels, will introduce the visitors to the many attractions and specialty walks that the Planting Fields Arboretum has to offer. Individuals interested in learning about Long Island's storied history will be able to peruse the archives, which will contain more than 85,000 images, schematics, blueprints, and plans from Robert Moses' Long Island National Park System. The Planting Fields Arboretum will also showcase a new rooftop garden, complete with a pergola filled with hanging baskets of seasonal flowers to attract butterflies and birds. This relaxing area will be the perfect spot to sit and picnic with family and friends. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in commending the Planting Fields Arboretum of Oyster Bay, New York for the construction of the Hoffman Visitor Center, a facility that will only add luster to one of Nassau County and New York's brightest cultural gems.